Hat hanger



leb. 15, 193s. F. KULHAWY 2,108,678

HAT HANGER Fild Nov. 1o, 195e ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES PAENT OFFIQE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to hat hangers, and it is an object of the invention to provide an improved hat hanger whereby hats, particularly mens hats, can be conveniently suspended from a hook, nail, peg, or from the back of a chair or the like.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved hat hanger which does not distort the shape of the hat, but on the contrary actually aids in holding the hat in proper shape.

In the accompanying drawing- Fig. 1 is a side View of a hat hanger embodying my invention with a hat shown in dotted lines in association therewith, illustrating the manner in which the hanger is assembled in' the hat; and

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the hanger.

My improved hanger comprises a resilient, compressible member Ill and a combined hanger and handle II for manipulating the compressible member and for suspending the hanger in any convenient position. The compressible member ll) preferably consists of a loop formed of a relatively narrow and elongated rod or strip I2 formed of some resilient material, such as metal wire, bakelite, or other synthetic resilient material. The loop formed by the rod or strip I2 terminates at the points I4 and I5, which are spaced apart so as to permit the compression of the loop by flexing the two ends I4 and I5 towards each other.

In order that the device may serve not only as a hanger for a hat, but also as a block or 35 Shaper to hold the hat in proper shape, the loop should be slightly larger in circumference than the inside of the hat to which it is to be applied,

so that when the loop is compressed by flexing the two ends thereof towards each other, it may 40 be inserted inside the hat and the rod or strip I2 forming the loop will then expand to engage and exert pressure against the inside of the hat around a substantial portion of the circumference thereof.

Beyond the two termini I4 and I5 of the loop, the rod or strip I2 extends outwardly at an angle to the loop so as to provide the handle portion and suspending means; thus, beyond the end I5 of the loop the rod is extended up at I6 and beyond the end I4 of the loop the rod or strip is extended up at ll, the two portions I6 and I'I being disposed at an angle to the loop and curving outwardly at the points I8 and I9, and then tapering towards each other until they meet, at which point they are joined together as by means of a collar 20. The portion I6 extends through the collar and curves outwardly and downwardly so as to provide a hook ZI, the hook 2| being disposed at substantially the same level as the upper end of the loop I0. The portion I1 extends upwardly above the loop for some little distance where it is formed into a hook 22 substantially parallel to the loop I0 and substantially at right angles to the hook 2l. As more particularly shown in Fig. 1, the two portions I6 and I1 from a short distance below the collar 20, extend upwardly substantially parallel to the loop or resilient member I0 and in spaced relation thereto.

In using my device, the two members I6 and I'I of the handle are grasped between the curved portions I8 and I9, the curved portions serving to prevent the hand from slipping above these points. The members I6 and Il are then exed towards each other with the result that the loop or compressible member I is compressed. After it has been compressed and inserted inside the crown of the hat to the position shown in Fig. l, the pressure upon the members I6 and Il is then released with the result that the loop expands inside the hat and it engages and exerts pressure upon the inside of the hat throughout its entire length. A substantial portion of the circumference of the inside of the hat is accordingly engaged by the loop and thereby reshaped or is held in proper shape. The hat and hanger may then be suspended in any convenient position by means of the hooks 2l or 22.

lt will be seen that due to the fact that the hooks 2l and 22 project in different directions, the hanger may be suspended from many different places, such as nails, hooks, pegs, or from the back of chairs or the like. It will also be seen that due to the pressure exerted by the loop Il] on the inside of the hat not only will the hat be firmly held against accidental displacement, but also the hat will be held in shape or will even be reshaped if it has become distorted.

It should be understood, of course, that modifications may be made in the illustrated and described embodiment without departing from the invention as dened in the accompanying claims.

I claim:

l. A hat hanger comprising a compressible member formed of a loop of resilient material, said loop being of a size and shape to engage and exert pressure against the inside of a hat throughout the greater portion of the circumference thereof when compressed, the ends of said the bottom thereof and being spaced apart to permit compression of the loop, and the two ends of the strip of material being formed so as to extend upwardly and outwardly at an angle beyond the ends of the loop and converging towards each other, and being Connected together in fixed relation so as to provide a handle whereby the hanger may be gripped and the loop compressed, one of the ends of said strip being formed in a hook for suspending the hanger.

FERDINAND KULHAWY. 

